NR 507 Week 2 Discussion; Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

A/B. The condition I chose is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. I selected this disease because I see it daily at work, the amount of COPD exacerbations we see in the acute care setting are rapidly increasing, and it affects patients` quality of life and requires continuous nursing intervention and management. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive respiratory condition, it is characterized by persistent inflammation and narrowing of the airways, which leads to difficulty breathing and reduced airflow (Cadham et al., 2024). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder is primarily caused by smoking, but other risk factors include genetic factors, air pollution, occupational exposures and symptoms include shortness of breath, persistent coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, fatigue, etc (Cadham et al., 2024). I chose this because I am intrigued with the physiological part of it and what causes patients to be so short of breath, I would like to know how your lungs function with someone with COPD and how it is different from normal working lungs. I see a lot of patients on my floor with this condition and better understanding the disease process will help me advocate and work with them in the future. C. In the United States, 11.1 million adults are living with COPD, and it is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality (Cadham et al., 2024). Over 16 million adults in the United States have COPD, some might be undiagnosed, and it one of the leading causes of death in the US, with over 140,000 deaths annually (Cadham et al., 2024). Those affected with COPD are exposed to dust, gases, fumes in the workplace, smokers, family history, air pollution, etc. COPD can be managed by lifestyle changes, medical therapy and possible rehabilitation (Cadham et al., 2024). D. The article I chose suggests that there are significant differences in prevalence by sex, age, smoking status, and race/ethnicity. Males had higher rates of COPD regardless of stage (Cadham et al., 2024). It discusses links between COPD and increased mortality rates in the US population (Cadham et al., 2024). The article suggests the description and pathophysiology of the disease and how they lead to clinical symptoms, the article is pertinent to understanding COPD. Effective management of COPD is crucial with patient education, lifestyle changes, and adherence to treatment plans, which the article goes into detail about. The article can help nurses offer treatment that improves health outcomes, can lessen exacerbations, and lessen symptoms. Resource: Cadham, C. J., Oh, H., Han, M. K., Mannino, D., Cook, S., Meza, R., Levy, D. T., & Sánchez-Romero, L. M. (2024). The prevalence and mortality risks of PRISm and COPD in the United States from NHANES 2007–2012. Respiratory Research, 25(1), Article 208. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12931-024-02841-yJulia, I have seen a lot of sickle-cell patients in my day. Have you seen an increase in sickle-cell exacerbations/flare-ups lately? What do you think the cause is? Based on an article I read about sicke cell disease, it said that “sex-based clinical outcome differences in sickle cell disease remain largely unknown